Upgrade-Friendly Models and OEM Concepts

’18 Jeep Wrangler (Courtesy of FCA)

With an overall emphasis on advanced safety technologies and efficiency improvements, the LA Auto Show set the stage for new-model debuts and concept vehicles from top OEMs. Here’s a look at what’s new and specifically relevant for the specialty-equipment market.

The new RX L models offer many of the advanced safety features that Lexus demonstrated for the media on the LS prior to the opening of the LA Auto Show. The Standard Lexus Safety System+ includes a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane-keep assist, intelligent high beams, and all-speed dynamic radar cruise control. A blind-spot monitor and with intuitive parking assist and rear cross-traffic braking are also available, as is a panoramic view monitor. Those new advanced driver-assist safety systems are made possible by increased processing power and make use of existing hardware.

The addition of a third seating row is the biggest change for the ’18 RX L models. Lexus extended the body length by 4.3 in. at the rear and used a steeper tailgate window angle to ensure enough headroom. The standard seven-seat version uses a 40/20/40 split-bench-type second-row seat, with the fold-and-slide second row providing easy third-row access. The available six-seat configuration features second-row captain’s chairs.

The exterior of the ’18 Nissan Kicks blends bold wheel-arch fenders and a high stance with familiar Nissan design signatures, including a V-Motion grille, boomerang headlights and taillights, and a floating roof with a wraparound-visor look. Available features include standard Intelligent Auto Headlights and available LED low-beam headlights with LED signature accents.

The Kicks comes with a standard 1.6L DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder with a continuous variable valve timing control system. The engine is rated at 125 hp and 115 lb.-ft. of torque. The Kicks is offered in front-wheel drive only.

Automatic emergency braking is standard on all grade levels, along with seven air bags and a rearview monitor. Kicks SV and Kicks SR add blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert.

The ’18 Nissan Kicks will be offered in three models—Kicks S, Kicks SV and Kicks SR—starting in June 2018.

Mazda revealed its Vision Coupe, a four-door concept car designed with elegance in mind, as well as efficiency and unity between car and driver, according to Managing Executive Officer Ikuo Maeda. The exterior design keeps a smooth line from front to rear, with the cabin further back, and simplifies the body for a simple, sleek look.

Inside the Vision Coupe, structural forms such as the center console, door trim and instrument panel intersect with one another without touching. The model offers a see-through screen that functions as a display only when needed, so it doesn’t intrude on the driver’s view. The cockpit is symmetrical, with steering centered in the middle and everything else to the left and right. It is designed so that the driver can sense the central axis of the car. Drivers can bring up information with the touch of the center console.

Many of these intriguing design features are not likely to survive if the Vision Coupe were to go into production, but they represent ideas Mazda is currently working on for future evaluation.

The U.S.-production version of Hyundai’s Kona crossover rides on an all-new CUV platform and is Hyundai’s first B-segment crossover for the U.S. market. The Kona’s exterior styling features aggressive body styling complemented by a low and wide stance.

The Kona is available with a choice of two gasoline powertrains. A 2.0L four-cylinder Atkinson engine produces 147 hp at 6,200 rpm and 132 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,500 rpm and is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. Limited and Ultimate trims offer the Gamma 1.6L four-cylinder, direct-injected, turbocharged engine generating 175 hp at 5,500 rpm and 195 lb.-ft. of torque from 1,500 to 4,500 rpm.

Available safety features include lane-keeping assist, blind-spot collision warning, rear cross-traffic collision warning, lane-change assist, parking distance warning, and forward collision-avoidance assist with pedestrian detection.

The Kona will be available in the first quarter of 2018.

Although currently a design experiment, the Future Toyota Adventure Concept (FT-AC) has been imagined as a thoroughly capable gasoline-powered vehicle with an advanced torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system. The FT-AC could also offer a next-generation hybrid powertrain.

The FT-AC was designed around a long wheelbase and a wide track. Extra-wide fender flares provide body shielding above the 20-in. wheels and all-terrain tires. The FT-AC has generous ground clearance and twin hooks for vehicle recovery. Skid plates help protect the short front and rear overhangs.

The pronounced front grille is flanked with LED headlights. The fog lights can be removed and used as portable lights or attached to a mountain bike. Infrared cameras on the side mirrors can record trail runs or be removed and mounted off-vehicle. LED marker lights at the front corners provide ambient lighting around the vehicle, brighten the trail ahead, or act as a flash for the side mirrors’ cameras.

Upgrade-Friendly Models and OEM Concepts

’18 Jeep Wrangler (Courtesy of FCA)

With an overall emphasis on advanced safety technologies and efficiency improvements, the LA Auto Show set the stage for new-model debuts and concept vehicles from top OEMs. Here’s a look at what’s new and specifically relevant for the specialty-equipment market.

The new RX L models offer many of the advanced safety features that Lexus demonstrated for the media on the LS prior to the opening of the LA Auto Show. The Standard Lexus Safety System+ includes a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane-keep assist, intelligent high beams, and all-speed dynamic radar cruise control. A blind-spot monitor and with intuitive parking assist and rear cross-traffic braking are also available, as is a panoramic view monitor. Those new advanced driver-assist safety systems are made possible by increased processing power and make use of existing hardware.

The addition of a third seating row is the biggest change for the ’18 RX L models. Lexus extended the body length by 4.3 in. at the rear and used a steeper tailgate window angle to ensure enough headroom. The standard seven-seat version uses a 40/20/40 split-bench-type second-row seat, with the fold-and-slide second row providing easy third-row access. The available six-seat configuration features second-row captain’s chairs.

The exterior of the ’18 Nissan Kicks blends bold wheel-arch fenders and a high stance with familiar Nissan design signatures, including a V-Motion grille, boomerang headlights and taillights, and a floating roof with a wraparound-visor look. Available features include standard Intelligent Auto Headlights and available LED low-beam headlights with LED signature accents.

The Kicks comes with a standard 1.6L DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder with a continuous variable valve timing control system. The engine is rated at 125 hp and 115 lb.-ft. of torque. The Kicks is offered in front-wheel drive only.

Automatic emergency braking is standard on all grade levels, along with seven air bags and a rearview monitor. Kicks SV and Kicks SR add blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert.

The ’18 Nissan Kicks will be offered in three models—Kicks S, Kicks SV and Kicks SR—starting in June 2018.

Mazda revealed its Vision Coupe, a four-door concept car designed with elegance in mind, as well as efficiency and unity between car and driver, according to Managing Executive Officer Ikuo Maeda. The exterior design keeps a smooth line from front to rear, with the cabin further back, and simplifies the body for a simple, sleek look.

Inside the Vision Coupe, structural forms such as the center console, door trim and instrument panel intersect with one another without touching. The model offers a see-through screen that functions as a display only when needed, so it doesn’t intrude on the driver’s view. The cockpit is symmetrical, with steering centered in the middle and everything else to the left and right. It is designed so that the driver can sense the central axis of the car. Drivers can bring up information with the touch of the center console.

Many of these intriguing design features are not likely to survive if the Vision Coupe were to go into production, but they represent ideas Mazda is currently working on for future evaluation.

The U.S.-production version of Hyundai’s Kona crossover rides on an all-new CUV platform and is Hyundai’s first B-segment crossover for the U.S. market. The Kona’s exterior styling features aggressive body styling complemented by a low and wide stance.

The Kona is available with a choice of two gasoline powertrains. A 2.0L four-cylinder Atkinson engine produces 147 hp at 6,200 rpm and 132 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,500 rpm and is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. Limited and Ultimate trims offer the Gamma 1.6L four-cylinder, direct-injected, turbocharged engine generating 175 hp at 5,500 rpm and 195 lb.-ft. of torque from 1,500 to 4,500 rpm.

Available safety features include lane-keeping assist, blind-spot collision warning, rear cross-traffic collision warning, lane-change assist, parking distance warning, and forward collision-avoidance assist with pedestrian detection.

The Kona will be available in the first quarter of 2018.

Although currently a design experiment, the Future Toyota Adventure Concept (FT-AC) has been imagined as a thoroughly capable gasoline-powered vehicle with an advanced torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system. The FT-AC could also offer a next-generation hybrid powertrain.

The FT-AC was designed around a long wheelbase and a wide track. Extra-wide fender flares provide body shielding above the 20-in. wheels and all-terrain tires. The FT-AC has generous ground clearance and twin hooks for vehicle recovery. Skid plates help protect the short front and rear overhangs.

The pronounced front grille is flanked with LED headlights. The fog lights can be removed and used as portable lights or attached to a mountain bike. Infrared cameras on the side mirrors can record trail runs or be removed and mounted off-vehicle. LED marker lights at the front corners provide ambient lighting around the vehicle, brighten the trail ahead, or act as a flash for the side mirrors’ cameras.

SEMA Person of the Year

The time he has invested in SEMA has been considerable, and his impact even more so. In addition to his participation on many committees and task forces, he has chaired the audit committee and played a key role in helping SEMA to evaluate acquisition targets. For those and many other contributions, the association named Johnson its 2017 Person of the Year at the recent SEMA Show Awards Banquet in Las Vegas. Johnson was both caught off guard and humbled when his name was announced at the gathering.

“There are so many more qualified and deserving people,” he thought as he took the stage. “I was truly surprised and not prepared—and perhaps speechless for one of the few times. There were so many people I wanted to thank, such as Russell Stephens, Nate Shelton, Chris Kersting, Doug Evans and Jeff Thompson, among others, that I totally forgot when I got to the podium.”

Ranking among SEMA’s most prestigious honors, the Person of the Year Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the automotive specialty-equipment industry over the course of the year. Honorees must be employed by a SEMA-member company and exhibit a high degree of integrity, leadership and service.

“SEMA is pleased to honor John Johnson as our 2017 Person of the Year,” said SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting. “During his time on the association’s Board of Directors, he brought an extraordinary spirit of volunteerism to the task of keeping our trade association on sure financial footing and poised for growth with our industry. He also contributed unique insights and direction to numerous Board initiatives. The industry as a whole has benefited greatly from his service.”

Johnson brought an extensive financial background to the aftermarket industry. He is a co-founder of TSG, a premier investment bank, and has more than 30 years of investment banking experience. Prior to TSG, he was a managing director and co-founder of the West Coast Corporate Finance Group of Banc of America Securities in Los Angeles. He joined Banc of America Securities and its various predecessors, including Banc of America Robertson Stephens and NationsBanc Montgomery Securities, in 1984, and he specialized in technology-sector company coverage between 1984 and 1989. He joined the Asset Based Financing Group in 1989, focusing on leveraged buyouts and leveraged finance, and he ultimately became a group head. In 1994, he joined the Corporate Finance team in San Francisco and led the industrial technology and business services sector practices.

More recently, Johnson co-founded a public rental services company, General Finance Corp. (GFN), in 2005 and served as chief operating officer. Under his direction, GFN completed and integrated 14 acquisitions totaling nearly $400 million. In addition to his many financial-sector accomplishments, he holds a B.A. from the University of California, Davis, and is active in the Boy Scouts as a scout leader and a board member.

Johnson is living proof that businesspersons of every stripe can share their passion for the industry in countless ways.

“Besides growing up within a family of ‘wrenchers’ and having a personal automotive passion, the aftermarket’s vibe and the over-the-top enthusiast lifestyle are magnets for me and our firm,” he said. “Our mantra is that you gotta love what you do, and in this case, we also get paid to do what we love. I feel like I need to give back to the industry that has bestowed so many opportunities and blessings on me and our firm.”

Of all his work with SEMA, Johnson views his service to the Board of Directors as his proudest accomplishment. Throughout his tenure, he strove to bring business acumen to the Board’s strategic positions while never forgetting that SEMA is a member-driven B2B entity composed of many constituents.

“The goal is to make SEMA better than we found it—for and from each of us—so that future generations can enjoy the strength and passion of this industry as an outlet that the iconic founding members created,” he said. “While I have been involved in a dozen or more trade associations through the years for my banking practice, I have never seen such depth in the ranks of the staff as with SEMA. The entire staff, and the senior team especially, is deep and passionate and has a proper understanding of why the organization exists, and [its members] magnify the success of the industry.

“As an industry professional, there is no better way to enrich your understanding and appreciation for the industry than to participate in the SEMA committees and councils. Without seeking the goal of enhancing your business, you’ll nevertheless realize it as the byproduct of your efforts.”

SEMA Person of the Year

The time he has invested in SEMA has been considerable, and his impact even more so. In addition to his participation on many committees and task forces, he has chaired the audit committee and played a key role in helping SEMA to evaluate acquisition targets. For those and many other contributions, the association named Johnson its 2017 Person of the Year at the recent SEMA Show Awards Banquet in Las Vegas. Johnson was both caught off guard and humbled when his name was announced at the gathering.

“There are so many more qualified and deserving people,” he thought as he took the stage. “I was truly surprised and not prepared—and perhaps speechless for one of the few times. There were so many people I wanted to thank, such as Russell Stephens, Nate Shelton, Chris Kersting, Doug Evans and Jeff Thompson, among others, that I totally forgot when I got to the podium.”

Ranking among SEMA’s most prestigious honors, the Person of the Year Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the automotive specialty-equipment industry over the course of the year. Honorees must be employed by a SEMA-member company and exhibit a high degree of integrity, leadership and service.

“SEMA is pleased to honor John Johnson as our 2017 Person of the Year,” said SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting. “During his time on the association’s Board of Directors, he brought an extraordinary spirit of volunteerism to the task of keeping our trade association on sure financial footing and poised for growth with our industry. He also contributed unique insights and direction to numerous Board initiatives. The industry as a whole has benefited greatly from his service.”

Johnson brought an extensive financial background to the aftermarket industry. He is a co-founder of TSG, a premier investment bank, and has more than 30 years of investment banking experience. Prior to TSG, he was a managing director and co-founder of the West Coast Corporate Finance Group of Banc of America Securities in Los Angeles. He joined Banc of America Securities and its various predecessors, including Banc of America Robertson Stephens and NationsBanc Montgomery Securities, in 1984, and he specialized in technology-sector company coverage between 1984 and 1989. He joined the Asset Based Financing Group in 1989, focusing on leveraged buyouts and leveraged finance, and he ultimately became a group head. In 1994, he joined the Corporate Finance team in San Francisco and led the industrial technology and business services sector practices.

More recently, Johnson co-founded a public rental services company, General Finance Corp. (GFN), in 2005 and served as chief operating officer. Under his direction, GFN completed and integrated 14 acquisitions totaling nearly $400 million. In addition to his many financial-sector accomplishments, he holds a B.A. from the University of California, Davis, and is active in the Boy Scouts as a scout leader and a board member.

Johnson is living proof that businesspersons of every stripe can share their passion for the industry in countless ways.

“Besides growing up within a family of ‘wrenchers’ and having a personal automotive passion, the aftermarket’s vibe and the over-the-top enthusiast lifestyle are magnets for me and our firm,” he said. “Our mantra is that you gotta love what you do, and in this case, we also get paid to do what we love. I feel like I need to give back to the industry that has bestowed so many opportunities and blessings on me and our firm.”

Of all his work with SEMA, Johnson views his service to the Board of Directors as his proudest accomplishment. Throughout his tenure, he strove to bring business acumen to the Board’s strategic positions while never forgetting that SEMA is a member-driven B2B entity composed of many constituents.

“The goal is to make SEMA better than we found it—for and from each of us—so that future generations can enjoy the strength and passion of this industry as an outlet that the iconic founding members created,” he said. “While I have been involved in a dozen or more trade associations through the years for my banking practice, I have never seen such depth in the ranks of the staff as with SEMA. The entire staff, and the senior team especially, is deep and passionate and has a proper understanding of why the organization exists, and [its members] magnify the success of the industry.

“As an industry professional, there is no better way to enrich your understanding and appreciation for the industry than to participate in the SEMA committees and councils. Without seeking the goal of enhancing your business, you’ll nevertheless realize it as the byproduct of your efforts.”